What’s the difference between 해 and 살 and 년?

Question

What’s the difference between 해 and 살 and 년?? They all mean year(s), right?

Eg. 세 살 or 다섯 해 or 매년

I figure the first is more general, the second is for age and the third is for phrases like the above, ‘every year’. Am I close?

HK Lee · Accepted Answer · 2018-08-12 08:08:12Z

3

년 :

1) counting year

2002년 월드컵 Wolrd cup at 2002 year

나는 1997년이 되면 10살이 된다 I will be ten yeas old at 1997

2) 년 = 365 days

몇 년동안 공부했니 ? How many years do you spend for your study ?

해 :

1) during 365 days

올 해안에 돈 벌수 있을까 ? Can I earn money in this year ?

해가 바뀌다. This year is gone.

2) 365 days

몇 년동안 공부했니 ? = 몇 해동안 공부했니 ?

살 : counting age

너는 몇살이니 ? How old are you ?

answered Aug 12, 2018 at 8:08

HK Lee

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NOTE When you can use either 년 or 해, you would want to stick to 년 in most cases. Using 해 as a unit word sounds literary and even a bit archaic.
– Константин Ван
Sep 9, 2018 at 14:58
I would not want to stick to 년. Why do you think ?
– HK Lee
Sep 9, 2018 at 15:03
Because you cannot use 해 everywhere. While its use is limited, 년 is almost universal. The two are not interchangeable in nuance and usage. 십 년만 지나도 - 열 해만 지나도; 공부를 시작한 지 삼 년 정도 됐죠. - 공부를 시작한 지 세 해 정도 됐죠. You see what is awkward in these, don't you? I won't say they don't make sense, but they don't sound familiar to me.
– Константин Ван
Sep 9, 2018 at 15:19
It would be no problem to use 해 at all if you can manage to catch the subtle nuance differences, but if you can't, the easy way to go is just sticking to the more universal one.
– Константин Ван
Sep 9, 2018 at 15:26

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